Friend Like Me
by C'sMelody
Summary: (Set at the end of PG.) "Nevermind my condition, there are still hybrids on the loose! Do you expect me to sit still and wait for them to evaporate on their own?" Mandrake would never say something like this, but maybe Nathaniel would. Due to the previous events, my cunning self is still (slightly) bewildered at his selfless words, though I think a certain someone may be to blame.
1. Prologue

_**So, yesterday I finished reading the last book, and I was utterly frustrated. And sad. And angry. And wanting to summon Bartimaeus and ask him why the hell didn't he stop Nathaniel and try something. I mean, Barty's such a lucky bastard; he would manage to make the both of them survive!**_

_**Although I do understand why Jonathan Stroud did it, because it makes sense - I can't see a clearer way of saying "This story is over forever" - it doesn't mean I have to like it and agree with it, right? **_

_**And this is where fanfiction comes in! :D**_

_**Disclaimer: (almost forgot) Well, actually, the fact that I don't own the books is also the reason why I'm writing this. Perfectly - or not - explained in those paragraphs up above.**_

* * *

_Bartimaeus_

_Bartimaeus… _The thought was very faint.

_Yes?_

_You've been a good servant…_

What do you _say_ to something like this? I mean, with death bearing down and a 5,000 year career of incomparable accomplishment about to hit the fan? The appropriate response, frankly, is some sort of a rude gesture, followed up by the loudest of raspberries, but again I was stymied - being in his body made the logistics too cumbersome to bother with.(1) So, wearily, wishing we had some kind of maudlin sound track, I played along. _Well, um, you've been just dandy too._

(1)Well, try giving yourself a rude gesture. It just doesn't work, does it?

_I didn't say you were perfect… _

_What?_

_Far from it. Let's face it, you've generally managed to cock things up._

_WHAT? _The bloody cheek! Insults, at a time like this! With death bearing down, etc. I ask you. I rolled up my metaphorical sleeves. _Well, since we're doing some straight talking, let me tell you buddy—_

_Which is why I'm dismissing you right now. _

_Eh? _But I hadn't misheard. I knew I hadn't. I could read his mind.

_Don't take it the wrong way… _His thought was fragmented, fleeting, but his mouth was already murmuring the spell. _It's just that… we've got to break the Staff at the right moment here. You're holding it in check. But I can't rely on you for something as important as this. You're bound to mess up somehow. Best thing is… best thing is to dismiss you. That'll trigger the Staff automatically. Then I KNOW it'll be done properly. _

_Nathaniel—_

_Say hello to Kitty for me._

Then Nouda was upon us. Mouths opened, tentacles slashed down.

_Oh, no. No, I won't!_

This had happened once in my brilliant and unparalleled career, and _I_, Bartimaeus of Uruk, N'Gorso the Mighty, would not let this _insufferable_ _kid_ die on me. Nu-uh. This time _I_ was quicker! (2) I forced Nathaniel's mouth shut, and with it, his chances of finishing the Dismiss order. With the other hand I aimed for the top of the Glass Palace and opened a small hole with a light Detonation. Shards of glass and iron descended upon us (3), as we began to float from the ground, and directly towards Nouda's lovely mouths and teeth. (4) Let's say it wasn't dancing in bliss after ingesting that, especially the iron.

(2) Well, considering the miserable appearance of Nathaniel, which I will _not _take the time to describe, and even his _inside_, because, you know, I was _there_, it wasn't that much of a challenge. But enough of this, I am reaching a very important narrative climax!

(3) I had _obviously_ put up a Shield on our back. What do you take me for? A _human_?

(4) No, I didn't count them, and _yes_, I was being sarcastic, couldn't you tell?

With a horrible, painful roar, that shook the entire place as if it was made of water, Nouda flinched back a bit. That gave me time to gain some more height and prepare to put my brilliant plan into action. (5) As I did, I took the silver disk that had still been lost on Nathaniel's pocket, and threw it at one of Nouda's closer tentacles, slicing it in two. It growled. Furious eyes locked with ours. In that moment, I was very grateful they weren't deadly.

(5) Really simple - it consisted on saving both of our put-together arses by fleeing at the right moment. Not that I had one… but oh, nevermind!

"_Bartimaeus!_" he roared. "You'll be my next meal!"

_What the hell are you doing? _Nathaniel demanded in that annoying thinking voice of his. It seems he still has energy to be his irritant self. _You'll blow everything up!_

_I'm saving your sorry ass, so shut it._ Then, I would gladly be off his body and far from that incessant turmoil of emotions, mental images of Kitty, imprisoning shape, _and _that voice!

Nouda leaped. I threw the Staff to his closer mouth and flew backwards as fast as Nathaniel's human condition let me. The Staff broke, right inside Nouda's body, and it began glowing white. I took that as a sign that it was perfectly fine to take our leave, if we still wanted to live to tell the tale.

I did.

And so, spinning around, I forced Nathaniel's right foot on the top of the opening I had created moments ago, and whispered the command to activate the Seven-League Boots.

* * *

**So, that's it. This story is perfectly fine as a one-shot, I think. But maybe I'll continue it, if I feel like it, and if my best friend doesn't make my head explode for not updating the other stories. Well, if he does, I'm sending Bartimaeus after him, you hear me? ;)**

**Right now I have other things to finish, so, if I DO continue, it will be a while.**

**Adieu! :D**


	2. 1 - Kitty

**Hum… I didn't think I'd come back to this so soon. I guess I got hooked on Stroud's world **

**This chapter is right before 37****th**** chapter of the third book, which I'm not sure if will even exist in this fanfic.**

* * *

Kitty

Kitty didn't dare move a muscle.

The air itself was in suspense - a predator, claws and teeth sharp and ready to pursue its prey, creating an illusionary sense of peace; an ambiguous, restless magical energy swirling around the epicenter of the explosion. It seemed to be waiting for something to happen, for another sound to interrupt that unnerving serenity, for another light to furiously bulb up and blow whatever was left of the surrounding area of the palace, or any sign that either one of the flanks was still standing.

Kitty waited for any of those options to happen.

They didn't.

It was quiet. _Too_ quiet.

Just a moment before, a flash of a blinding white light had turned the Glass Palace to mere ruins and thrown her violently backwards, the Amulet of Samarkand hitting her right on the face, leaving her head spinning and feeling incredibly sick. Due to her previous doings (consisting of going to the Other Place, and running from one side to another to help exterminate the hybrids), she wouldn't say she was in the best of shapes. So, that, plus this last occurrence were not helping her concentrate in anything of relevance. But still, her tenacity in knowing if Nathaniel and Bartimaeus were fine seemed to be sufficient, at least for now - she didn't know how long could she remain from fainting from exhaustion.

Briefly taking in her surroundings, she saw people being led by some of the magicians that were previously with her to one of the improvised hospitals. They gazed in awe at the scene in front of them for a few seconds, and then continued with whatever they were doing.

Kitty felt extremelly frustrated. Didn't anyone have the guts to just go there to check if there was _anybody_ there?

Inwardly cursing, she forced herself up. She would fall, had not been Mandrake's assistant, Ms. Piper, there at the right moment. Muttering a hushed "thank you", she once more glanced at the remains of the Glass Palace.

They had promised. _Nathaniel _had promised they would see each other again, after they defeated Nouda. They had, and that was pretty obvious, so _where were them?_

Feeling her heart tighten, she fought the tears that were already peeping in the corners of her eyes; afterall, she was not supposed to cry - he was just an arrogant, deceiving magician, which had made too many promises while he was a politician. She should have known better than to believe in the promises of the one who had put her in all this mess. _But that was Mandrake, this is Nathaniel, _a voice echoed in her brain. A voice that was annoyingly too close to Bartimaeus' when they were both in the Other Place.

Kitty felt a light squeeze on her left forearm, and twisted her head to see Ms. Piper staring somewhat worriedly down at her. Snapping back to reality, Kitty asked if she had said something.

"Yes. I was asking if you were feeling okay," Ms. Piper repeated.

"Oh. I am," Kitty replied nonchalantly, returning her attention to the palace.

Piper cleared her throat. "Ms. Jones… Well… I don't intend to intrude or anything of the like, but I don't think _anyone_ would have survived such explosion…" she trailed off.

Kitty didn't immediately answer. She understood what Piper meant with the emphasized word, and silently agreed that she was right. Although there was something that still lingered her there, something that she couldn't ignore.

"He promised. Nat- John never broke a promise to me," she breathed out. Because her voice was in a mere whisper tone and so husky, Piper had to bend forward to hear what she had said.

"I understand," Piper said with a slight nod of her head. "So, can you stand still, Ms. Jones?"

"No. But I can sit."

"Very well. Then, I must go to help those in need." She helped Kitty sit down near the same tree Nathaniel had been leaning onto for what seemed moments ago, and then let go of her. "I'm sending an _imp_ every now and then to check on you, if that is okay."

"Thank you," Kitty said. "But I think it would be more appropriate to send it to the Glass Palace. Or whatever's left of it."

Piper nodded, and finally left Kitty on her own.

* * *

A few hours later, the area around Kitty was cleared from commoners and magicians. The fire was already extinguished and spirits had been sent after the four remaining hybrids that had managed to escape in the middle of that disorder. They weren't considered dangerous - in comparison to Nouda, they were mere _imps_;but no one felt like taking a chance on luck, especially after the previous events, and so the necessary spirits had been mobilized to go search and destroy those.

Kitty sat in the same spot all alone, under a clear, bright sky, an orange blanket wrapped around her, and a cup of hot chocolate in her right hand, both courtesy of Piper. Although the sky was cloudless, it was starting to get colder and colder by the minute. She guessed it was because dawn was approaching.

Piper had been there twice. The first time she had brought the blanket and said that no one had been found in the Glass Palace's ruins or in the garden. The second time she had brought the hot chocolate and politely asked Kitty if she wouldn't accompany her back. Kitty had declined.

She felt very tired, not only physically, but mentally too. Good thing was her hair already showed some signs of getting better, and she could feel the wrinkles were less prominent. Not that it mattered that much to her. Not now.

Kitty allowed herself to close her eyes, with an inward promise that it would only be for a minute, just so she could rest a bit from everything. Previous events passed before her shut eyes in a flashing speed, and she let herself remember how Nathaniel had both put her in this whole mess, and also saved her from it, just like he had promised before; and Bartimaeus, who seemed to be much gentler and at peace in the Other Place, who promised to help because of her sacrifice. She chuckled lightly. Bartimaeus would die swearing he hadn't done it because of Nathaniel too. That thought made her heart pound, and so she brought the cup to her lips, taking a sip of the melted drink, and leaning against the tree once more.

Her mind began to smoothly shut down, everything going completely black, no more images, portraits, or memories dancing before her. It was quiet, peaceful, and she felt herself gently dozing off into a light slumber…

… when a ruffle in the bushes coming from her right startled her out of her stupor.

With her heart hardly hammering against her ribs, Kitty shakily got up to her feet, using the tree as a crutch, and holding onto the hot chocolate cup as if it was her weapon and the blanket as if it was her lifeguard. She froze in place when she saw who it was.

A hybrid_. _Probably one of those who had ran away.

She didn't recognize the man in front of her, but the three tails coming out of his back didn't go unoticed. He was tall, a bit overweight, probably on his late fifties (she could tell that by his short, grizzled hair and botched beard). The right cheek of the man's face was missing, replaced by a blood-red tissue similar to human's flesh, and there was what resembled a horn coming out. The glint in his demonic black eyes told her he had seen her, and as if that wasn't enough, so did his smirk.

"Well, well, a human," he mocked, in a deep grave voice that reverberated on his lungs, taking a step forward. "What a nice feast it will be."

Kitty glared at the hybrid, not moving, and considered her options. Running certainly wasn't one - she could barely take a step without collapsing on the grass. So, there had to be another way out. She had to improvise something before Piper came to check on her again, then she could take care of it, she hoped...

"Now, now, lady, don't fret. I'll make it quick." It smirked mischievously.

Kitty looked down and spotted something on his shoes - flames. That wasn't a good sign. The hybrid standing in front of her was probably an _afrit_. She had read about them, of course, so she silently hoped that the part of them being stupid was also truth. That was probably her way out of it.

"Say, sir, I suppose you're an _afrit_," she finally spoke up, attempting to sound as polite as possible.

"Yes, it is right, human. How did you know?"

"You must be incredibly powerful," Kitty faked admiration, choosing to not answer the question. "I heard the magician whose body and mind are now yours was great indeed."

He had bit the bait. She knew that because after muttering those false words the _afrit_ had puffed and his chest had visibly grown. Great. Now all she had to do was keep that up for a while. She hadn't forgotton her magic resilience, nor the amulet still hanging around her neck, but she didn't know how would that help had the demon tried to eat her alive.

"So, as I was-"

"I could assist you, sir," Kitty continued. "I'm sure that you are too great to be called randomly by an unexperienced magician, so I assume this world is a bit new to you, sir. I could be of help on that matter."

The hybrid stopped for a while, narrowing his eyes in a speculative way. When he spoke, his orbs glued to Kitty's, studying her, trying to decipher if she was being honest. "Tell me, are you a _magician?_" The last word was spit out with venom.

"I am not," she stated firmly. She wasn't… but she had summoned Bartimaeus once… and she had also gone to the Other Place… so what did it make her? No, not a magician.

"_Liar_," he hissed coldly, his eyes glinting darkly. Kitty felt a cold shiver run up her spine. "You must be a magician to possess that object over there." The hybrid pointed to her chest, where the Amulet of Samarkand lifelessly hung, steadily gleaming, a demonic yet protective aura emanating from it. "The same goes for your knowledge. No commoner would know, _just by looking_, that I am an _afrit_. A great one, indeed, as you mentioned, so it should be an honour for you to be part of my essence."

_No, thanks, _was Kitty's instant thought.

The hybrid stepped forward, the distance between them shortening threateningly by the second. Kitty gulped, suddenly finding herself in a _very_ time-to-panic situation. _What now?_ How could she escape the claws and teeth of a much stronger being, even taking her own resilience in count? She silently hoped the spirit would use a magical attack first - that would give her the element of surprise. Nonetheless, hadn't it seen the amulet? If she was correct, it was very well known, so it had probably identified it already.

_Great, just my luck!_ She inwardly grumbled.

Subtly searching in her pockets, the only things she found were an elemental sphere and a silver disk. Would that suffice? Probably not… Even if she threw the elemental sphere towards its face, it would probably only temporarily delay the hybrid, because then she would be pursued by her scent, and she would lead it to one of the improvised hospitals, where all those innocent people were. That if the _afrit_ didn't diffuse it first, like it had happened with Honorius some years ago.

_What _could she do?

When her brain started racing to find an answer again, a lot of things happened too fast for Kitty to register any details.

The hybrid advanced on her. Kitty clenched her hand around the elemental sphere. They locked eyes for what seemed to be forever. It hopped. Quick, elliptical reddish lights coming from her right violently striked the hybrid standing a few feet from her, causing its body to ghastly shake and completely vanish from sight. The amulet in her chest absorbed the rest of the energy.

Kitty's mouth was agape and her eyes were opened wide, fixed in the spot where her eminent death was seconds ago. Then her head snapped to her right, in time to see _him_, his eyes in a scary, murderous glare, right hand reaching front, a trace of magical energy still hovering around it, and body slightly bent forward, rigid, ready to battle.

"_Nathaniel…"_ she whispered, bewilderment linked to her voice. Half of her was stunned to say the least, and also in a vague denial - but who could blame her after what had happened, right before her eyes, in the Glass Palace? The other half was almost swooning from relief, and she now wanted nothing more than to throw herself backwards and let out a reprieved sigh.

His eyes had grown softer when he heard her call him by his birth name, and so did his body relax a bit. "Are you alright?" he asked rather anxiously, his hoarse voice overflowing with concern. Though softened, his eyes were still alert, glued to her, searching for any sign that she wasn't okay, worriedly waiting for her answer.

Kitty didn't trust her voice right now - it was probably lost in some hollow space of her throat, wherever that ought to be, recovering from the shock it had been to see him cast such a powerful Spasm. Her stomach was contracted, pressed agains her diaphragm as if it feared for its safety, due to the amounts of hormones that had been released into her blood in mere seconds. For a few moments she thought she would be sick.

Whilst her head twisted from the velocity of the prior events, she came to the conclusion that Bartimaeus had to still be inside Nathaniel's body, because there was no other way for him to be standing with his wounded flank, much less cast such spell.

Knowing that she still hadn't answered him, and because she also acknowledged the fact that she couldn't speak just now, Kitty nodded her head. That was as much as she could do for now.

"Am I glad!" Nathaniel blurted out with a relieved sigh, the next moment falling on his knees and running a hand over his raven hair distressfully. His body noticeably trembled when he took in a good amount of air to his lungs, and when he exhaled, his breath came irregular. Supporting his weight with one hand, the other rushed to his flank, his body visibly wincing at the touch.

That made Kitty snap out of her reverie, and momentarily overcaming her fatigue, she rushed to his side, also falling on her knees, and enveloping him with her orange blanket. Now she could see the sweat on his forehead, mixed with some blood cascading on the left side of his features.

The magician produced some indignant sound, then muttering a "_you _should be wearing it, not me", that earned him a glare from the girl.

"Don't listen to this brat," Bartimaeus' voice came out of Nathaniel's mouth, who then forcefully closed it, annoyed with the spirit's nerve. It opened again. "He's been whining like a baby since we left the hospital to come to you. Piper told us you were under this tree, and because there are still hybrids out here, Natty-boy couldn't just rest still until he saved his lo-moof."

With his face bright scarlet, the mentioned magician had clamped his balancing hand to his mouth, in a desperate attempt to hush the _djinni_. But not without a fight, because the talkative spirit was hissing muffled protests, whilst Nathaniel did his best to maintain his mouth as closed as possible. His eyes wore an expression of pure terror and unbelief, and for Kitty, the fact that they were arguing at a time like this was a bit frustrating.

Albeit that, the whole drama they had gone through for the last hours and the horrors they had seen and experienced, now she found the scene displayed in front of her too entertaining, and so she laughed. It started with a quiet giggle, until it developed into a very resonant laugher, one that made her sides and cheeks hurt and her eyes water. The expression of confusion plastered on the boy's face only fueled her, of course.

They stayed like that for a while - Kitty laughing and Nathaniel staring at her blankly, until the girl did something much unexpected and out of character, for reasons that only she knew. Kitty wrapped her arms around the young magician's neck, leaning her head near his ear and whispering "thank you both".

Besides Nathaniel's face turning two darker shades of red, it only served for him to hold her back, a peaceful smile on his lips.

Now, even Bartimaeus didn't have the heart to interrupt, after all, a _djinni_ knows when to be quiet.

* * *

**And that's it! :)**

**Ah, yes! I forgot to mention that the title for this fanfic came to me when I was searching for one, and suddenly my playlist randomly chose Aladdin's song, "Friend Like Me" to play. Well, I was completely creeped out, but it turned out to be just perfect!**

**Thank you for reading! Feel free to drop a review to let me know what you think, what you like and what I should improve! ;)**

_C'sMelody_


	3. 2 - Bartimaeus

**Sorry for the wait!**

**Here it is - the second chapter in Barty's POV!**

* * *

Bartimaeus

Well, I did undoubtedly leave some things unsaid and unexplained since I saved Natty-boy from Nouda, Gladstone's Staff and the explosion itself(1). So, allow me to elucidate your human minds.

(1)Yes, I, Bartimaeus Sakhr Al-Jinni, the Serpent of Silver Plumes, am that merciful. Which reminds me of Ptolomy's much worse and unfair fate - though even I have to admit his condition was brutally fatal. Nathaniel's flank wound wasn't even close.

Miraculously, we managed to arrive near the improvised military-style hospital, both thanks to the Seven-League Boots and my incessant rambling on our shared brain that kept him half-lucid during the time.

It seems to me Nathaniel was recognized by that woman we saved from Clive Jenkins' body occupant(2). She said something in between the lines of "It's him! The boy that destroyed those demons!" We were immediately succoured.

(2) In other words, Naeryan, a quite skilled _afrit_ I first met in Africa, but I think I already mentioned that before.

I didn't get the chance to explain how it really had been both me and him doing the saving, especially because I considered Nat's condition - it would take too much of our precious time, and as it seemed, he lacked time now. So, I chose silence. Only for the time being, because I will never restrain myself from _kindly_ remind him of all of this when he finally recovers.

The wound was cleaned and bound with roller bandage, the few scratches he had disinfected. Nathaniel had been lying down for about an hour (3) in a dimly lit military tent full of people being tended to, nurses and doctors buzzing around in a white frenzy, when we heard something.

(3) And still not recovered! I was insanely bored!

"Yes, there are still four hybrids on the loose, as much as we know." It was a man's voice, but I couldn't see him. His shadow was reflected on the army green curtains dividing each patient's bed. I don't think I've ever met this man; at least his voice isn't familiar. This is probably a good sign(4).

(4) In the time I _was_ under Nathaniel's orders, recognizing anyone's voice was most likely a bad sign. Read the books and you shall know why.

The man was at our left, apparently chatting with the figure lying down on the mattress. There was no answer from the other however. I am compelled to suppose that he's either going mad with the whole "talking-to-patients-while-they're-in-coma-helps", or the one lying down is simply mute. If you must know, it doesn't really faze me, whichever the option is - I've seen enough of humanity's problems to bore with this. Nonetheless, what he spoke mattered to both Nathaniel and me, unfortunately.

_Will you stop doing those? It's quite annoying._ It was Nathaniel's thinking voice again.

_Bravo! Managed to rest for an hour, Sleeping Beauty?_

_Shut up and let me hear it._

Somehow his cheeks were hotter than usual. Probably the fever, don't you think?

"I already reported this to Ms. Piper." There was some nonverbal faint flutter coming from the other side of the _conversation_. "Don't be so surprised, she was Mandrake's assistant after all, she's quite suited for the job." He said with petulance.

There was a pause in which both Nathaniel and I wondered if this meant that Piper was coordinating the pursuit of the remaining hybrids. It was highly probable, seeing as she should be the strongest British magician _thought_ alive. This didn't seem to bother Nathaniel though; he must be too tired to care.

Then the man with too-much-of-a-British-accent spoke up once more. "Ms. Piper assured me the area around the explosion was cleared from commoners. All except one - a lady named Kitty Jones, it seems. She's still waiting for Mandrake to show up." He laughed mockingly. "Ridiculous, in my opinion! No living creature would survive to such explosion."

I heard a groan coming from Nathaniel's throat and unconsciously read the thoughts that crossed his mind. Besides the vulgar cursing, one thing was very clear: we would go find Kitty.

_For once in my very long existence, one beyond your imagination, I can't help but to agree with you. Yes, you may now feel honoured, inferior being._

_Bartimaeus!_ His voice hissed in an admonition tone. _I'm tired of your story-telling! Now hurry because we have to get to her quickly!_

_What about your condition? You heard the doctor, mister, no walking around for a week! _This was fun, poking him. Nathaniel was already fuming, I could tell._ And for the next month you have to be careful at school and-_

_Just hush, will you?_ He cut my loving motherly speech off. _Nevermind my condition, there are still hybrids on the loose! Do you expect me to sit still and wait for them to evaporate on their own?_

Mandrake would never say anything like this, but maybe Nathaniel would. Due to the previous events, my cunning self is still (slightly) bewildered at his selfless words, though I think a certain somone may be to blame (5).

(5) Why Kitty, of course!

_Oh, obviously this is Kitty we're talking, no, _thinking_ about. People may think she put a spell on you, Nat._

And there was the expected raspberry. How lamely predictable.

Reaching Kitty was the easy part - first came the terrible, inevitable, the one and only _standing up_. Not to mention getting out without being noticed. But making him stand unnoticed was the very first step.

That didn't go as dreadful as expected. Well, doctors and nurses were too busy to really detect a black blur passing by, and as for the bed occupants, they were mostly asleep - or in coma, if you must. It really comes down to point of view.

The trip was short, but still didn't save me from listening to Nathaniel's inner turmoil, consisting of: the normal, physical pain the wound was causing; hunger, aligned with the exhaustion from our prior activities; fear for Kitty's well-being and for not reaching her on time if some hybrid decided to show up to say hi; and he was also too tired of putting up with me.

Oi! Hold on a second! That brat!

_It's _your _fault for always peeking in my private thoughts._

My inner self was frowning and mentally sending him a loud raspberry, but I'm still not in position to mimic that properly.

_Your thoughts are too loud, it's not like I can help it. _Well, that was mostly true. Even if his thoughts weren't _that_ piercing, I still couldn't choose to not listen to them. _Next time someone better warn me about all these collateral effects on my essence of this sharing-body situation._

What_? You agreed with this too! You… you…!_

_Come on, can't even find a proper insult? Tch._

I felt his brows furrow into a frown, though I could also tell he wasn't paying attention to me anymore. Bloody git. His lips perked to complement his semblance. Weird expression, even for him, who once wore oversized clothes and had a mane as hairdo.

_Bartimaeus, there's something ahead of us._

I paid closer attention to our surroundings. We were cutting our way through the garden (6) of what used to be the Glass Palace. From the stench, it was easy to say that the fire had been defeated recently. And if his nose failed me, then I would have his eyes, and in all seven planes few trees had survived, let alone escape without a scratch. The rest was burnt down to ashes.

(6)Well, more like grilled garden.

But I finally got what he meant.

Not far from us, Kitty was supporting herself on the tree we had been leaning onto hours ago. Surprisingly enough, it hadn't burnt, and the vegetation around it seemed to have made it better than the rest. Then I saw the hybrid advancing on her, a mocking and victorious expression on his half-human face, murmuring things that were making Kitty's eyes widen.

Nathaniel's blood was boiling, his heart racing excessively. Before I knew it, he was running - don't ask me how - towards them, taking me with him. That was just bloody great. We had come face to face with death mere hours ago, escaped out of sheer luck, and gone to the hospital to treat his injured flank, and here the great calculating and cold magician was, allowing feelings and emotions to rule him. That would be tremendously amusing to watch had it ever been on another occasion - the present moment and situation I was in doesn't permit my essence to rejoice on the fact that Nathaniel has finally killed John Mandrake.

The rest of the story you are probably familiar with, and even I am quite flabbergasted at how he managed to produce such a powerful Spasm. I know that he obviously had me to rely on, but that doesn't change the fact that the being he killed was an _afrit_. Could it be, that our powers combined had such great effects? It was an option to consider, but now Nathaniel's attention lies on Kitty once more, who seems to be more amazed than me, which, frankly, is a relief.

Part of Nathaniel's inner turmoil was silenced when Kitty nodded her response for his question, and we were now down on his knees. Kitty sure knew how to warm his heart though, and running to his aid had been just the little proof I needed to be sure that she didn't hate him.

Nonetheless, when she put her blanket on his shoulders, he protested, then muttering a "_you _should be wearing it, not me", cauing Kitty to glare at him. So, he was happy because she actually worried about him, and now he was putting on the hero façade. I could have rolled my eyes at them, especially at Nathaniel. But hey, I got a better idea.

"Don't listen to this brat," I then said, obliging his mouth to move on my will. Nathaniel closed it shut. I could tell he was annoyed that I had interrupted his little moment. I opened it again. "He's been whining like a baby since we left the hospital to come to you. Piper told us you were under this tree, and because there are still hybrids out here, Natty-boy couldn't just rest still until he saved his lo-moof."

I could feel his face burn, and so did his hand when he clamped it to his mouth, in a desperate attempt to hush me. I wouldn't just let it go without a fight.

_Hey! It's rude to interrupt when others are talking!_

He didn't even care to answer. His eyes wore an expression of pure terror and unbelief. Kitty looked troubled.

_Ah, truth can hurt, can't it? At least I didn't give away that you merely escaped the hospital, you should be thankful._

Still no answer.

And then, coming out of nowhere, I hear a faint giggle, soon transformed into a full, mind-blowing laughter. It was Kitty, she was laughing hysterically, and when I thought I had seen everything of human's strange behaviors, the girl wraps her arms around Nathaniel's neck and thanks us both. I swear that for a moment I thought I had misheard or that maybe she was having side-effects from her travel to the Other Place. But then I let my essence relax and I actually appreciate her words. After Ptolomy, no one had ever graced me with such honest gratitude, and it felt warm and nice to finally be recognized, even if that acknowledgement had been shared with a magician.

Nathaniel's arms were already around her, and he was blushing deeper when I finally came back to notice it.

I decided to not interrupt; after all, a _djinni_ knows when to be quiet.

* * *

We were back at the hospital now. Don't ask me how no one noticed our absence.

Piper had found us shortly after, when Kitty was still holding Nathaniel. Actually, the hug had turned into quite an awkward situation. As for Natty-boy, his thoughts gave away how he didn't know what to do to mend the situation - to let go or to let _her _make that decision? Humans, always so complicated. Besides, it didn't take a _djinni_ to guess how Kitty wasn't comfortable as well.

But back to the point, Piper had been the reason for their abrupt separation, each one's face as red as a tomato. I still think Nathaniel's was redder. But that doesn't really matter much. I, for once, want to get out of his body as quickly as possible(7). Still, this time it's Kitty who won't allow it. She thinks that, quote, "Nathaniel is still too weak to de deprovided of your energy. You're helping him survive, Bartimaeus, please stay a little longer."

(7) This is the second time we agree on something today, it's turning into a bad habit. I really need to get away from him.

Well, how could I say "no" to that? Kitty doesn't really play fair on these matters. If she and Nathaniel ever get together, he'll be forever condemned to her will. Even if the boy doesn't realize this now, I'm sure he will someday. I mean, doesn't he proclaim to be intelligent? As for Kitty… well, I couldn't really tell, she's harder to decipher. Maybe the fact that I'm actually inside _his _body has some weight on the matter.

Speaking of the devil, there she was, walking to us with Piper right behind her.

"I'm sorry, but that's my last statement," Kitty was saying.

"Please, consider, Ms. Jones, you'd be perfect for the role!" Piper spoke, her hands making small pleading movements.

"I just want to rest. Maybe travel. That doesn't really fit in my plans."

Well, it seems that the world "travel" hadn't just taken me by surprise. Nathaniel was quite bewildered himself, to not say _disappointed_ as well.

_Were you expecting her to stay by your bed forever?_

_No! I just… Ugh, mind your own business, demon! _He replied. I didn't like it.

_Hey! What did I tell you about that word? Are you forgeting where I am right now?_ I admonished. He was nervous. Good. That should be enough for him to stop those lame insults.

And the next thing I knew, Kitty was sitting by our side on a chair. Piper hurriedly left after nodding in our direction.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Nathaniel asked in a husky voice. I resisted rolling my eyes at him.

"I've been lying down for a couple of hours. Sleep just doesn't seem to come. Weird, isn't it? After all that happened, and how I'm exhausted, I expected to purely throw myself into the bed and fall asleep the next moment." Kitty confessed quietly, looking deep in thought, as if she was talking to herself and not to us.

"Maybe there's something bugging you?" I suggested.

She turned her head to us. "I don't know… We just fought in some war… Many died! I've seen dear people die before… But this… I… I just…!" Kitty gasped.

Nathaniel had finally done something honourable, or at least something I approved of. His right hand was now on Kitty's shoulder, assuringly, and I had nothing to do with it this time. However, he was still nervous enough to not say what was on his mind. So I did. "We know."

The girl seemed surprised at first, but then relaxed, and gave us a half-heartedly smile. "It's weird to be sitting here next to you both."

"Why, thank you," I grumbled.

She giggled. "I don't mean it in a bad way, Bartimaeus." I forced Nathaniel's lips into a smile. "But you have to admit it's strange. Did you ever think you'd be inside Nathaniel's body?"

"Hell no." I quickly answered.

"Hey!" Nathaniel protested.

"I'm sorry Nat, but Kitty has a point here. Sharing your brain will surely leave some traumas for me to deal with." That was a lie. This experience hadn't been that bad, but of course, Nathaniel would never hear me verbalize that.

Kitty shook her head disapprovingly at us and yawned. Then she rose up to her feet, stretching as she did so. "Well, I think I'm ready to sleep for about a week. Call me only if the world's ending." And with that and a wink, the uncommoner turned left and disappeared through the curtains.

_Well, Nat, that was quite the move!_ I congratulated him. His cheeks turned red.

_Oh, shut up._

* * *

**Uff. I finally finished it! I actually managed to finish 2 chapters in a day. :')**

**And my best friend deserves a giant hug for the support! I adore you! :3**

**Be happy, everyone!**

_C'sMelody_


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